


The Moon Will Sing

by The_Falling_Star



Series: A call, a withering echo, and it sings all-knowing words [4]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Aborted Undertale Genocide Run, Frisk (Undertale) Is a Sweetheart, Gen, Minor Original Character(s), Nonbinary Chara & Frisk (Undertale), POV Third Person, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, SAVED Asriel Dreemurr, Selectively Mute Frisk (Undertale), Teenage Chara (Undertale), Undertale Monsters on the Surface
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:27:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26702947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Falling_Star/pseuds/The_Falling_Star
Summary: “Chara, what are you doing?” Asriel asked, the slightest nervous tremor to his voice. At the sound of their name, the monster looked up with black eyes towards their brother.“Where are the knives?”
Relationships: Asriel Dreemurr & Frisk, Chara & Asriel Dreemurr, Chara & Asriel Dreemurr & Frisk, Chara & Frisk (Undertale)
Series: A call, a withering echo, and it sings all-knowing words [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1753795
Comments: 13
Kudos: 25





	The Moon Will Sing

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger Warning in the end notes.
> 
> This fic takes place approximately two weeks following the events of [From the Mouth of an Injured Head](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23580004/chapters/58558999).
> 
> Visual references:
> 
> [Asriel](https://trinterrance.tumblr.com/post/627089826586460160/fallingstarstuff-here-is-asriel-i-wasnt-sure), by [TrinTerrance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrinTerrance/pseuds/TrinTerrance).
> 
> [The Dreemurrs](https://64.media.tumblr.com/d24d7d1e9cb090e50ca0234b458de169/36001900bb3121d8-d1/s2048x3072/ba1778ef97d883afb2c940a3a15ab0912ebb3c0e.png), by [Lailosh](https://lailosh.tumblr.com/).

_My feet knew the path_

_We walked in the dark, in the dark_

_I never gave a single thought_

_To where it might lead_

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Asriel crept down the hallway towards the living room on silent furry paws, his claws lifted so they wouldn’t click against the hardwood floor. One red thorn of his hand wrapped around the trigger of his weapon, holding it at the ready. Slowly he stuck his head around the corner, quickly scanning the living room.

No sign of the quarry he hunted.

He pursed his lips, eyes narrowing as he considered where his cornered prey might hide, and after a moment pondering, he bent his knees, took a breath, and dashed forward as fast as his legs could carry him. Running behind the couch he lifted his weapon, taking aim.

As expected, hiding behind the couch was a small human child.

_‘Pop, pop, pop!’_ Asriel fired three rounds of darts at his sibling, little effort given to accuracy in favor of unloading as much ammunition as rapidly as possible. From personal experience, the more bullets, the better.

Well, for most encounters anyways. 

Unfortunately, his opponent was Frisk.

The human flowed between the darts, dodging the projectiles with the grace of a dancer and in one fluid movement, lifted their own nerf gun and fired off a single round.

The dart pegged Asriel square in the head.

“Ugh, every time!” Asriel grumbled, and Frisk snickered before taking off again, the boss monster giving chase as the human ran around the corner towards the kitchen. Frisk was a slippery sort, but Asriel’s longer legs made him faster.

Not that he needed it, Frisk had unexpectedly stopped dead before the kitchen and Asriel barreled into them, almost knocking them over. He reached out and (carefully!) grabbed Frisk’s arm before they could tumble down, his grip light so his thorns wouldn’t pierce their fragile human skin.

“Why’d you stop-” Frisk cut him off, pointing to the kitchen and Asriel’s gaze followed, seeing a humanoid monster covered in green leaves with a crown of yellow flowers. The plant monster was opening each drawer in the kitchen one by one, quickly scanning over the contents before closing it and moving onto the next.

It was an eerily familiar sight from a past life.

“Chara, what are you doing?” Asriel asked, the slightest nervous tremor to his voice. At the sound of their name, the monster looked up with black eyes containing rings of mismatched blue and red irises. 

“Where are the knives?” they intoned. 

<Why?> Frisk signed, brows knitting together.

“A little experiment. Idle inquiry. Nothing concerning, I assure you.” they smoothly replied, opening another drawer. 

“Press X to doubt.” Asriel muttered.

“You know I do not yet understand your strange jokes, however I swear by Alex’s SOUL I am not causing any mischief.” they said in a level voice that was meant to be reassuring. 

It was most certainly not.

“What the hell would _you_ need a knife for that _isn’t_ a terrible idea?” Asriel countered.

“Ah, here we are, of course she still hides them.” Chara reached far back into the drawer with their slender arm, pulling out a large, sharp chef’s knife. “Perfect. Well, now that I have the proper equipment,” they too-skillfully twirled the handle of the knife between their fingers, “I may demonstrate.”

Frisk and Asriel looked at each other with matching looks of concern.

“Do not be frightened Asriel.” Chara chided.

“I’m not!”

“And do not lie to me. I see your SOUL, you shall never be able to deceive me.” they said sweetly with a wide, fanged grin. “Worry not, I assure you this is merely an exercise of curiosity. Come.”

They walked over to the bathroom, Asriel and Frisk trailing after them, flicking on the light to illuminate the small bright room. Toriel’s cheery accents decorated the otherwise clean white surroundings. The toy guns were carelessly dumped on the vanity while Chara pulled the shower curtain to one side, sat on the edge of the tub, feet inside the basin, holding the knife in their left hand and extending their right forearm.

“Did you know skeletons bleed?” they commented casually.

“...Yes.” Asriel eventually answered, and Frisk nodded with equal reluctance.

“Ah, yes, Papyrus was your favorite toy.”

“Don’t talk about that!” Asriel snapped. 

“It happened Azzy, you should learn to accept it. Pretending it did not occur will not make it go away.” they persisted.

<Chara, stop.> Frisk signed, noticing Asriel’s growing distress. 

“I am not being cruel. Do you sense any malice in my SOUL, Asriel?” they glanced up placidly at the goat monster, who did not answer, meeting their look with a scowl, “I only wish the best for you. I always will.”

Chara turned their attention back to their arm, “But, that is not why I ask. I was curious, you see, about this new body of mine...” with no warning, and too late for Asriel and Frisk to cry out in alarm, Chara drew the sharp edge of the blade over their forearm, slicing into their flesh in one swift, neat motion. The action was purposeful, unflinching, and as they pulled the blade away they curiously tilted their head, looking down at their slit arm intently.

The cut began bleeding a white liquid. Like the sap of a weed.

“ _Interesting_...” they breathed. Holding the blade nearer to their face they looked at the milky substance that coated it. “For some reason I had imagined it would be green.” the cut began dribbling the pale ichor, sticky liquid dripping onto the tub.

“Why--What is wrong with you!?” Asriel nearly shouted once he had shaken out of his stunned stupor. 

“I did not think you would be so offended. I wanted to know if I still bled red.”

<Why?> Frisk asked, far calmer than their brother.

Their voice was wooden as they hesitantly responded, “...It would be difficult to explain. Red is...” their expression grew distant, gaze unfocused, “It has associations with unpleasant memories I would much rather not discuss at this time. For now, I wanted to see if this last tie to my humanity remained.” they held their still bleeding arm aloft, the white “blood” running down and dripping off their elbow, “It would seem that it has not.”

They set down the knife, “Of course, it would be rather folly to harm myself for such a small reward of knowledge. There is one more inquiry I have.” Holding their fingers over the wound Chara drew upon their magic.

It had changed so vastly in their reincarnation that it was nearly unrecognizable. They were thankful for that.

...

Nothing happened.

<What are you trying to do?> Frisk questioned.

“I cannot do it if I am distracted.” they grit out.

“Oh, _now_ you’re frustrated.” Asriel sensed through the Soul Bond, “You’re always such a control freak, just tell us what you’re doing.”

“I am attempting to heal myself. I am a plant monster, no? I should have the ability to self-regenerate.” their frustration leaking into their usually composed tone.

“You’ve never used Green Magic before.” Asriel explained flatly.

“And at one point I had never used Red Magic. Yet I eventually found myself quite capable of wielding it. Now, please, _be quiet._ ” they hissed.

Long moments of silence passed.

White still dribbled into the tub.

Nothing happened.

With a sigh, Asriel stepped forward, green readily glowing from his vine-like fingers that he extended over his sibling’s arm, the magic knitting together their flesh, good as new. 

“You are capable of healing?” Chara asked with raised brows.

“Don’t sound so surprised. I’m not some incompetent idiot. Give me the knife.” Asriel demanded with an outstretched hand.

Chara turned it over after only a moment’s hesitation. Asriel began rinsing it off in the sink, the lingering ichor washed away before he wiped it dry with a hand towel. “Move over.” he ordered brusquely, taking a seat on the edge of the tub next to Chara.

“What are you doing?” Chara asked reproachfully. 

“What do you think?” came Asriel's snide reply as he raised the knife over his arm.

Asriel did not have the calm precision of Chara. He hesitated. His hand shook. He winced. But despite his trepidation, he too dug the blade into his forearm, cutting through the vine that composed his arm.

The jagged wound leached black.

“Well, that is unexpected. I had thought we would have been the same.” Chara noted with interest.

“Huh, that is kinda cool.” Asriel conceded, his voice laced with pain, and Frisk nodded.

“Ok, now heal me.” Asriel said, holding out their damaged arm towards Chara.

“I just demonstrated I could not.” they curtly replied.

“That’s because you don’t know how to use the magic right. Don’t you remember what a Green SOUL means?” he coldly asked. 

“...Kindness.” Chara replied, voice a near whisper.

Asriel’s tone grew increasingly heated, “So heal me. Draw out that trait. Show me that you actually care. I don’t give a shit about the Bond, it doesn’t mean anything to me what you say, even if you have a part of INTEGRITY’s SOUL, I want you to prove it right here that you _ever_ gave a damn about me.” Asriel growled.

Chara was so rarely caught off-guard. Always they were in control of their emotions, a small, self-assured grin upon their face, always elegant words spilled from their tongue.

Asirel had just cut through all of that as effortlessly as Chara had cut their arm with the knife. Their expression, one of open vulnerability, was an incredibly rare sight.

They were _scared_ , Asriel sensed. Afraid of failing him.

Frisk lightly touched their shoulder, <Remember when you taught me magic?> they signed once they had Chara’s attention, <Use your emotions to draw it out. What do you feel for Asriel?>

They blinked, their expression collected again. Or perhaps something closer to _determined._

Their hands raised over the black wound and they closed their eyes, breathing so soft and quiet it was completely inaudible.

  
  


They thought of flowers.

Of yellow petals that bobbed on green stems in a garden where they first felt what it was like to have a home. Of teaching a younger Asriel how to weave the blooms together, guiding him through the small, repetitive movements.

Of the prince’s furry white paws placing a floral crown of gold upon their head, for they too were now of the royal family.

Of Asriel’s brave face when they told him to get the buttercups.

_He was so frightened._

But he had brought them those toxic yellow flowers, because he loved Chara, he _trusted_ them.

  
  


...And what had they done in turn?

  
  


...

  
  


_I will be better._

  
  


Green light glowed from their fingertips.

<It worked!> Frisk signed, though Chara could not see, lost in their task. Only when Asriel was fully healed did they blink their red and blue eyes open, looking serene yet dazed. Their gaze dropped down to Asriel's arm, running their fingers over the thorned vine, tracing through pitch-colored ichor.

“I did it.” they spoke in hushed tones.

“Yeah, you did.” Asriel said quietly, meeting their gaze. 

“I am so sorry, Asriel.” they whispered sincerely, “If I could have gone back, I would have mended all I had done to you.”

“...I know.” he said after a minute, “I’m sorry too.”

<...Do I go now?> Frisk signed questioningly. Their magic sparked to life, a red knife materializing in their hand.

“No!” both monsters responded as one panicked shout.

Frisk flinched, their magic fizzling out into red sparks.

<But you two->

“You have red blood like any other human.” Asriel interrupted their signs harshly, “Why the hell would you need to cut yourself?”

“So they can be like us.” Chara answered as if it were obvious, wiping the blade off again, then cleaning up Asriel’s arm before tending to their own, “They feel left out.”

“That’s dumb, why-” Asriel caught sight of Frisk’s downcast gaze, “Are you serious?”

Frisk failed to meet Asriel’s stunned stare, their dark eyes looking down at the floor instead while they signed; <You guys are Boss monsters. You have a Soul Bond. You’re mom’s real kids->

“Don’t you dare fucking say that, Frisk.” Asriel growled, “You are just as much a Dreemurr as either of us. Besides, mom should love you most anyways, you’re the only one of us who wasn’t a homicidal maniac.”

_That_ made them look up, brows furrowing, <I was the only one with a whole SOUL.>

“We both had functioning SOULs and lost them due to my foolishness. Do not discount your choices, Asriel is quite correct.” Chara said, standing and handing the knife to Frisk. “Would it make you feel more included if you partook in the bloodletting?”

They stared down at the blade in their grip with indecision, their other hand clutching at something under their shirt, right over their heart. 

“No! This is stupid! Frisk, if you cut yourself I won’t heal you.” he threatened, crossing his arms.

“Ah, worry not, I will do so. I assure you I care for you just as deeply as I do our brother.”

“Fucking--Chara, no! Cut it out, seriously!” Asriel flustered, tripping over his words.

“If it is what they want, I fail to see the harm. You cannot stop me.” they haughtily replied. 

“Oh yes I can, you skinny-ass stringbean!” Asriel grabbed Chara’s arms to pinion the plant monster, but they skillfully wiggled out of his grasp, their hand smushed into Asriel’s snout, trying to push him away.

“Hey!” Frisk harshly whispered, voice raspy and weak, the scuffle instantly freezing as both monsters snapped their attention to the human who so rarely spoke. <I won’t do it if you two stop fighting.>

“Good, ‘cause we’re not fighting anymore.” Asriel practically tossed Chara away, who nearly tumbled off the side of the tub, landing heavily with a ‘thump!’, “Stars, we are terrible influences on you.” Asriel muttered.

“Or excellent examples on how _not_ to conduct one’s self.” Chara countered, rubbing their arm and glaring at Asriel. They blinked, a thought occurring to them, “We should agree not to tell mother.” Chara lowly commanded.

“I didn’t think you’d want to keep a secret.” Asriel said jeeringly.

“Oh, even INTEGRITY has her secrets, I assure you. Regardless, I don’t think mother would understand.” Frisk and Asriel nodded, the silent agreement made.

“Chara? Azzy? Frisk?” came a faint call from the front of the townhouse, a voice quieter than most, feminine and higher-pitched to match the small body it originated from. 

“Speak of the devil.” Chara quietly muttered. “Frisk, quickly, the knife.” they ordered in a hushed, rapid tone. The scrambling human hurriedly passed the blade over to the plant monster. 

“Where are you guys?”

The knife was stuffed behind a bucket of cleaning supplies under the sink, hastily but effectively concealed. “Do not allow me to forget to retrieve this, understood?” Chara said, their voice barely audible now as small footsteps fast approached.

The bathroom door was pushed from ajar to fully open, a very short young woman with dark hair in a messy bun, pale freckled skin, and mismatched eyes of red and blue revealed on the other side.

“What are you three doing in here?” Alex asked suspiciously, glancing between the siblings who attempted (with varying degrees of success) to look innocent.

<“Nothing!”> Frisk signed and Asriel spoke in unison. 

Chara facepalmed.

No one could lie to INTEGRITY.

Alex arched a brow, “...Ok, that was dumb, you guys want to try again?”

<It’s a secret.> Frisk signed. There were no other true words that would make it past Alex’s magic.

She glanced around the bathroom, looking for something broken or out of place, and finding nothing. “Is it a secret I should be concerned about?”

“No, everything is quite settled, yes?” Chara said, looking over at their siblings who nodded in turn, “Nothing to fret over.”

Alex’s gaze narrowed, and Chara met the mirror image of their eyes unflinchingly.

“Alright,” the woman seemingly relented, much to the Dreemurrs’ relief, “Well, it’s getting late and we need to leave early tomorrow. Do you have everything packed?”

The three grimaced and looked at each other.

Alex groaned, “Guys, you were supposed to get everything together days ago! Ugh, here, I’ll help, I have a checklist on my phone-”

“You have a vacation checklist?” Asriel said incredulously, “Nerd.”

“Yes.” she snapped, “I have a checklist for everything. Besides, what happens when you get there and realize you forgot toothpaste?”

<Borrow some?> Frisk signed.

“Or purchase more.” Chara suggested.

“Pft, just don’t brush your teeth, it’s a vacation.” Asriel said, dismissively waving a vine.

“...Okay, Fair points. Except that last one, that’s nasty. But that still won’t get you out of packing.” she slung a skinny arm over Asriel’s shoulders, and he bared his fangs and glared, but did not move to fend her off, “C’mon you adorable little gremlins, you’ve got an hour before Toriel gets back and I want three suitcases ready to go by then.”

“I’m bigger than you.” Azzy muttered as he was urged out the door by the pushy human. Frisk grabbed the two nerf guns off the vanity, firing off two more darts at the back of Asriel’s head, the treachery met with cries of, “Cheater!”

Chara allowed a small, bemused smile as their siblings started bickering again, one last look cast back into the bathroom before they turned out the light and followed after their family.

  
  


* * *

  
  


_My heart knew the weight_

_Ten years worth of dust and neglect_

_We made our peace with weariness_

_And let it be_

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger Warning: Cutting.
> 
> \---
> 
> The title of this fic and lyrics are from [The Moon Will Sing by The Crane Wives](https://youtu.be/pwhec-xnWfY)
> 
> \---
> 
> Huh, wonder what sort of trip everyone’s going on...
> 
>   
> [Tumblr](http://fallingstarstuff.tumblr.com/) for my posting schedule and asks. 
> 
> 💙 Stay safe, and stay DETERMINED. ❤️


End file.
